


Power Outage

by SirJoker



Category: Doctor Who (2005), Doctor Who RPF, Real Person Fiction
Genre: F/M, Prequel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-02
Updated: 2016-08-07
Packaged: 2018-07-28 21:50:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 9,147
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7657972
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SirJoker/pseuds/SirJoker
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A blackout, a trailer and two people who try their best not to act on their feelings.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Righty-O! Just before you start reading the story, I'd like to point out that this is purely fictional and in no way has connections to real life which is why it's RPF (Real Person Fiction).
> 
> One more thing - this is a prequel to Late Night Musing. 
> 
> Now that that's done, on with the show!

The Doctor Who crew and cast were busier than ever – people were running about with props and equipment as they prepared to film the final episode of series nine. Peter and Jenna were seated right next to each other as they read their scripts in silence with one of them occasionally poking the other’s leg with their foot.  
  
Despite the hustle and bustle of the crew, there was sadness in the air as this would mark Jenna’s final episode and departure from Doctor Who.  
  
“Peter, Jenna, we’re about to film the first scene. If you guys could get ready please,” the director announced as the first scene that will be filmed involves the Doctor rescuing Clara via the Extraction chamber.  
  
“Last episode of the series. Are you ready for it, my dear companion?” Peter asked with a hint of sorrow in his tone as he set his script aside and smoothed his velvet coat. Jenna did the same.  
  
She smiled at him before reaching for his hand and gave it a light squeeze. “With my Doctor by my side? Always.”  
  
He squeezed her hand. “Jenna…,” he began but was cut-off.  
  
“Enough with the flirting you two! We have a finale to film!” Steven said teasingly with a smirk before he went back to work.  
  
Jenna let go of Peter’s hand while he looked the other direction and followed her shortly after.  
  
It was dark by the time they had wrapped up a couple scenes and the whole crew was taking a break. Peter decided to retreat into his trailer while Jenna stayed on set to discuss her next scene with the director.  
  
As Peter was enjoying his cup of tea, he looked out the small window of his trailer and raised a brow when the whole set went dark. Carefully, he set his tea on the counter before looking for the light switch, flicked it on and the inside of the trailer was immediately illuminated.  
  
He assumed that it must have been a power outage.  
  
Somebody knocked on his trailer door several minutes later and when he opened the door, he came face to face with Jenna. His lips twitched into a smile, wanting to tease her but the look on her face told him that it wasn’t a good idea at the moment. Not to mention the fact that she looked dishevelled.  
  
“I may have tripped when I was on my way to your trailer,” she explained as if she had read his mind.  
  
“Ah, that explains why your hair is messed up – come in,” his remark earned him an innocent smack on his arm.  
  
He stepped aside to let her enter the trailer before she plopped on one of the cushioned seats.  
  
“I can’t believe we have another power outage. This is probably the third or fourth one we’ve had since filming started,” Jenna complained, shedding her coat.  
  
Peter merely shrugged, taking the empty seat next to her. “It’s not so bad I suppose. Could have been worse. Like a Dalek invasion whilst we’re having this blackout…”  
  
His joke had earned him a laugh from her, causing him to glance at her with adoration in his eyes.  
  
“I’d prefer that over a boring blackout. At least I know the Doctor will stop the Daleks!”  
  
He grinned. “The Doctor and Clara Oswald defeating the Daleks while Wales is in complete darkness.”  
  
Their giggling eventually died down and both looked at each other awkwardly. There was just something about that night that made things feel different. None of them knew what it was or why.  
  
Peter began chewing his thumb – an indication that he was nervous. Jenna on the other hand, was fumbling with her hands, feeling just as out of place as he was.  
  
He decided to do something about it and so he cleared his throat and asked, “Erm, would – would you like some tea?”  
  
She looked up and smiled, “That would be nice. It’s been freezing outside.”  
  
He nodded and got up, approaching the counter but that was when the lights in the trailer died. There was silence for a second before Peter spoke, “The generator must’ve ran out of electricity. Great. I can barely see where I’m going. Jenna, do you have your phone with you? Maybe you could use it as a flashlight.”  
  
“Sorry, I left mine in my trailer. Where’s yours?” she sounded amused as she waited for his answer.  
  
“It’s charging… somewhere… in here,” he replied, blindly searching for his phone on the counter. It was either there or on the other side of the trailer.  
  
He could barely see anything clearly, even with the illumination from the moon.  
  
“No point searching for it now, where are you?” Jenna said as she raised one hand to look for him, brushing against his right arm before she held his hand.  
  
“I’m definitely not here, the one you’re not holding hands with,” he replied light heartedly.  
  
She giggled, “Oi, shut it, old man.”  
  
Slowly, he navigated his way back to his seat. Just as he was about to let go of her hand, he tripped on his own messenger bag, dragging Jenna down with him.  
  
He lay winded on the floor as his body supported Jenna’s weight. She was by no means heavy but he wasn’t as strong as back when he was younger so her landing had caused him to gasp.  
  
“Oh my God! Peter, are you alright? Did I hurt you?”  
  
He let out a laugh, “I’m fine. Just winded. You make it sound as if you broke something.”  
  
She bit her bottom lip nervously, “I didn’t, did I?”  
  
“Of course not!”

As if by magic, the lights were back on.  
  
Both could see each other clearly now that electricity was restored. It was at that moment Peter realized that he had one had on the small of her back while she had her arms around him.  
  
Jenna could tell that there was something going on in his head, by the look of his eyes. She always couldn’t tell if his eyes were either blue or green or grey. This was another one of those moments.  
  
Slowly, she leaned in and closed her eyes, him doing the same as their lips connected.  
  
He placed his free hand on her cheek, as he deepened the kiss, both taking their sweet time exploring one another. Months of repressed feelings were being poured into the kiss.  
  
Once they’ve parted, they stared into each other, not believing what had occurred.  
  
“Jenna…”  
  
“Peter.”  
  
Both knew what it meant – nothing would ever be the same again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's the end of the first chapter! I was supposed to have the whole thing completed by the end of this week but I've barely written chapter two! The original plan was to write the whole story first before posting it since I already have the major plot points written in my Doctor Who notebook (one of the main reasons why I'm writing this story - needed to write something in it rather than letting it collect dust) but it seems I've been enjoying my summer break a little too much by being lazy.
> 
> I'm hoping to finish writing the second chapter very soon.
> 
> Anyway, thank you so much for reading if you've managed to come this far. Hope you enjoyed it. More to come in the future.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter and Jenna discuss over what had just happened.

Peter and Jenna were still lying on the floor- they were too shocked over the kiss to even think properly. Both were confused, surprised and wanted to kiss again, no matter how guilty they would feel later on. 

Their moment however, was shattered by a knock. 

Jenna immediately got off of him and stared at anything but him. Peter on the other hand, picked himself up briskly. He straightened his attire. Ever the gentleman, he asked Jenna if she was fine. She merely nodded, slightly dizzy from the kiss. 

He took a deep breath before answering the door – it was one of the crew members, James.

“Just wanted to let you know filming has ended for the night. Steven and Rachel decided to call it a day. One of the cables got disconnected. I guess somebody tripped over it and caused it to become loose.”

Peter tried his best not to laugh or even smile. He knew who was behind the accidental power outage and so the only thing he could do was nod in reply, not wanting to give anything away.

However, even James himself could tell something was off. Both Jenna and Peter were unusually quiet- their faces red. He wasn’t sure if he should asked, not wanting to invade their privacy. 

“Is, um, everything alright, guys?”

“Yes!” Jenna piped, “We were just a bit startled by the blackout. Thanks, James.”

The crewman had one eyebrow arched, not entirely convinced nothing had happened. He decided to shrug it off since it was none of his business to begin with. “Ok then, good night.”

Peter closed the door as soon as James left, unsure of what to do next or say

“Peter…” Jenna began, biting her lower lip.

He looked at her straight in the eyes, mesmerised by them. He wanted to kiss her again but snapped out of it. “Yes, right. I…” 

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have kissed you. I didn’t know why I did it,” Jenna explained, popping back down into her seat, wishing she was anywhere but inside Peter’s trailer.

He sighed, running a hand over his silver curls, pacing back and forth in the narrow space. “If anybody should be apologizing, it’s me. I kissed you back.”

Jenna wasn’t sure what to say. He was turning to a nervous wreck. “Peter, calm down. Have a seat and stop biting your thumb,” she reached up to swat his hand away.

He looked down at his hands. Eventually, she slowly grabbed his hand and squeezed it. “Peter, it was only a kiss. At least we didn’t…”

“I know,” his thumb caressed her hand gently, “It’s not that that I’m worried about.”

She knitted her brows in confusion, unsure of what he was trying to convey to her.

“I… I wanted to kiss you again,” he confessed, ashamed of such a thought.

Jenna’s heart fluttered at his words but she knew he was married. They shouldn’t be having those thoughts to begin with. With all her might, she gathered up all the courage she could muster and said, “The kiss was wonderful… but you’re married-”

“And you’re still with Richard.”

He was waiting for her to say something, assuming she was still with that Game of Thrones bloke he wasn’t much of a fan of since he had always thought he didn’t treat Jenna properly.

“I called it off two months ago. He was seeing someone else.”

His eyes widened but at the same time, he felt a bit relieved she had ended it. “You didn’t say anything.”

She shook her head, “No, it seems irrelevant now. We were always on and off anyway.”

“I’m so sorry, Jenna.”

She smiled at him, a hint of sadness and pain in her eyes, “Don’t be, daft man.”

Silence fell once more. Neither knew what to say to the other. 

“Are we still friends?” Jenna asked cautiously.

Peter nodded, giving her a half smile, his heart constricted as he said, “Friends.”

The next day, their busy schedule did not permit them to talk in private. Instead, Rachel decided to film the Cloisters scene. 

They were on their second take as Jenna had slipped up a line on the first. 

The room barely had any bright light in. Peter and Jenna were opposite of each other as the make-up artist was fixing his hair while she was re-reading the script again, not wanting to make the same mistake twice. 

The make-up artist left shortly after she was satisfied with how Peter’s hair looked and when it was announced that the second take would begin shortly. 

They heard Rachel yell “Action!” and were immediately in their respective roles but Peter was having trouble concentrating as he stared at Jenna. 

After Jenna had said her lines, she was waiting for him to say his but he never did. It was as if he was in a different world. She realized he had the same expression that he had last night – the one before they had kissed. He was slowly leaning in and that was when she whispered, “Peter!”

He snapped out if and looked confused for a moment. 

“Cut!” Rachel yelled. 

Peter looked down sheepishly. “Sorry, I, erm, forgot my lines.”

It was a blatant lie to both him and Jenna. He was always amazed over the fact she was able to read his mind so easily. The only other person able to do so was Elaine and he knew he had to see her after what happened the previous night.

“That’s fine,” the director sighed but a bit perplexed over his reaction. Peter had a tendency to joke or laugh whenever he forgot his lines. This time however, he looked like a lost puppy. “We’ll just take a quick five minute break. I know how stressful the last week of filming can be.”

Most of the filming crew dispersed as some left to tend to their own business but Jenna and Peter stayed behind. 

“Sorry, my head was someplace else,” he admitted quietly.

“Not the first time I assume?” she asked teasingly. 

His lips twitched into a smile. “You would know, wouldn’t you?”

Despite the light banter, they knew it was going to be a long day of filming.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I sometimes surprise myself over how fast I can write the next chapter when I feel like it. It would usually take me ages to finish writing a multi-chapter story but I have everything planned out nicely it would seem so not too long of a wait before the next chapter is posted XD
> 
> And I originally planned to have Steven intrude on their moment but that wouldn't make much sense so I've replaced him with a crew member instead.
> 
> Also, I apologize for writing Richard as a jerk. He's probably nice in real life.... My story is purely fictional. 
> 
> Anyway, thanks for sticking around :)
> 
> *prepares to write the next chapter*


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter goes to London to see his wife.

The filming schedule worked in such a way that it would take a whole week to film an episode and in the middle of the week, everyone would take a day off from filming. Peter took this opportunity to head back to London to see his wife. He felt guilty for what happened.

He took the earliest train he could board from Cardiff Central station. 

As he casually walked through the train station heading to Platform 1, he adjusted the messenger bag he always carried on his shoulder. It was early in the morning and there weren’t that many people around yet but he wore his favourite pair of sunglasses and a flat cap just to be sure no one could easily recognise him. 

After he boarded the empty train, he took off his sunglasses before taking a seat at the back of the coach and set his bag aside.

_“Welcome aboard this First Great Western service to London Paddington. Calling at Newport, Bristol, Swindon, Didcot Parkway, Reading and London Paddington.”_

Peter looked out the window and he could see people rushing to board the train. It was to leave two minutes. The journey was two hours long and he wasn’t sure if he should get some sleep since he wasn’t able to the night before or he should just take out his sketch pad and draw to pass the time.

He decided to go for the latter since he was too nervous to sleep and besides, if a fan caught sight of the Doctor sleeping on a train to London early in the morning, people will start asking questions. 

He took out his sketchbook and pencil as the train began its journey to London. Throughout the two hours, he drew doodles of the TARDIS, Daleks, Cybermen and eventually, Jenna. While it was merely a quick sketch, one could easily recognise it was her. 

He sighed and closed the sketchbook. He knew he shouldn’t have kissed her but he did. However, what surprised him the most was that Jenna had feelings for him – he had thought she only considered him as her best friend. Why would she want an old man like him, anyway? He was thirty years older than her. 

The sudden announcement had caused Peter to snap out of his thoughts.

_“Ladies and gentlemen, we are now approaching London Paddington. Please make sure that you have all your belongings with you when leaving the train. Our final stop is London Paddington where this service will terminate. Thank you.”_

He placed his items into the messenger bag, zipped it and waited for the train to get into the station. Putting his sunglasses back on, he stood up and left the train as soon as it was docked in.

He made his way to the taxi area. Luckily, there wasn’t a too long of a line and he only had to wait for less than ten minutes before being ushered into a black cab. 

Once he got out of the cab and paid the driver who had recognised him but didn’t say much aside from praising him, Peter took a deep breath. Standing outside his home, he made his way up the steps and unlocked the door. 

Passing through the hallway, he took of his sunglasses and flat cap before dumping everything on the sofa in the living room. He then searched for his wife. “Elaine?”

“Peter? I’m in the study,” she replied.

He walked up the staircase briskly and strode into the study where his wife was seated by the desk, there was paperwork everywhere. 

“This is a surprise - I thought you were in Cardiff.”

He didn’t say anything but took a chair and sat next to her. “I was. Took a train to get here.”

At this point she was concerned and so she set her work aside, looking at him cautiously. 

“Peter, what is it?”

He looked at her warily while chewing his thumb before he decided to get straight to the point. 

“I kissed Jenna,” he confessed like a child who had just been caught scribbling on the wall with his crayon.

Elaine’s facial expression remained neutral as her brain processed what he had said and it was driving him slightly mad that he couldn’t tell what his wife was thinking.  
  
He stopped chewing his thumb. “Elaine…”

“You kissed Jenna?”

“Yes.”

“Did you and her…”

“No. No, no, we only kissed,” he added hastily. “There was this power outage and it was dark, I couldn’t see. I held her hand and tripped and then she was on top of me….”

“Peter, I don’t need the exact details.”

“Sorry… It’s just that –"

Elaine stopped from talking by placing a hand on his thigh. “Well, you’ve had a crush on her since day one anyway. I’m not angry – just… didn’t expect something like this.”

If Elaine was completely honest, she was just as clueless as to how she was going to handle this issue but her husband was clearly in a wreck at the moment so she knew she had to say something. 

“I’m sorry,” he apologised as he grabbed both her hands and kissed them. 

“It’s fine, Peter. Could have been much worse I suppose. Did you really come all the way here just to confess to me?” by the tone of her voice, she sounded amused. 

He looked at his wife sheepishly. “Yes, I have to return back to Cardiff later this evening.”

She forced a smile. “At least we can have lunch together.”

Elaine left the study to prepare lunch while Peter stayed behind, relieved that his wife had taken it quite well. He had told himself that he wouldn’t do anything irrational again before leaving the study. He couldn’t simply cheat on her, especially after everything she’s done for him and the fact that she had stuck with him through thick and thin. 

An hour after lunch, he called a cab and headed to Paddington station where he will take the train back to Cardiff. 

He vowed that he wouldn’t let his feelings for Jenna get the best of him and he was sure Jenna was thinking of the same thing too. If only he was twenty years younger…

_“Platform 12 for the 19:15 First Great Western service to Cardiff Central. Calling at Reading, Didcot Parkway, Swindon, Bristol Parkway, Newport and Cardiff Central.”_

The thing about promises is, that sometimes, it can be broken intentionally or unintentionally. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun Fact: I was so close to having a live chat with GWR, asking them how they deliver their announcements (since I wasn't sure if it was the same as the rest) but luckily, Youtube saved me from the ridiculous idea. Also, it's kinda surprising people record train announcements XD


	4. Chapter 4

It was around noon when Jenna woke up. The previous night was spent crying until she fell asleep and so, it wasn’t much of a surprise that she felt horrible as she got out of bed. The recent events had taken their toll on her and she was glad that there was no filming for the day. 

As she made her way into the kitchen, her mind replayed the words she had said to Peter.

_“The kiss was wonderful… but you’re married.”_  


She felt stupid now for saying those words. She had wanted more than just a kiss from him but the sensible part of her mind had told her that her co-star was happily married. The last thing she wanted to do was tear his family apart and she felt bad for Elaine.

Jenna sighed as she took a sip of her tea. There was no doubt they had been avoiding each other since filming the Cloisters scene – after Peter nearly kissed her. They couldn’t avoid each other forever.

She grabbed her phone lying on the counter and contemplated texting him, asking if he would like to have coffee at the nearby café.

_Want to get some coffee at the usual place?_  


She then left the kitchen, knowing that Peter will either reply her text or call her soon. She waited for an hour and there was still nothing from him.

An hour became two and two became three. By the fifth hour, Jenna began to grow worried. She knew Peter – he didn’t take this long to reply a simple text message but she convinced herself that he was probably busy doing something to pass the time. Nothing to be worried about.

By the time Peter arrived at his apartment, it was close to 10 PM. He was physically and mentally exhausted from the journey. When he left for London earlier in the morning, he had switched off his phone, not wanting to be disturbed and so when he switched on his phone, he was surprised to receive two missed calls and a text from Jenna. 

He fished for the keys to his apartment in his pocket while dialling her phone number. He might as well call her. 

_“Peter?!”_

He managed to successfully unlock the door and walked in. 

“Jenna, I just got your text message. I had my phone switched off. Sorry.”

_“You had me worried for nothing, mister! Where the hell have you been?!”_

He paused for a second, deciding whether to tell her where he had been.

“I just got back from London.”

Jenna knew why he was there. There was no need to ask him. 

_“Oh… Is everything ok?”_

“Yes. I think… everything’s fine.”

Another blatant lie.

He ran a hand over his hair and sighed. “Listen, why don’t I make it up to you, yeah? I can come over to your place tomorrow after filming. I’ll bring some Chinese takeout.”

_“Sounds good to me…”_

He waited for her to say something. He knew she wanted to say more.

_“Peter…”_

“Yeah,” he replied, entering his bedroom. 

_“See you tomorrow.”_

“Yes, tomorrow.”

And then, Jenna hung up. Peter tossed his phone on the bed before sitting on the edge of it, covering his face with one hand. What was wrong with him? Why did he suggest such a thing? Chinese take outs at Jenna’s after filming. Both alone. He blamed it on exhaustion. He was too tired to think properly and so he got up and entered the bathroom. Maybe a shower will do him good. 

The next morning, Rachel delivered some good news. 

“It looks like we don’t have a lot of filming to do guys. Just a few more scenes and we’re done. Looks like we’re ahead of schedule.”

The crew members murmured happily but Peter froze in his seat. He knew that one of the scenes they had to film was the one where Clara said goodbye to the Doctor. This was it. Today was the day Jenna would leave Doctor Who. 

Unknown to Peter, his co-star had been silently observing him from a distance. He looked exhausted when he arrived just over an hour ago and now, after finding out today would be their last day of filming, he looked like a kicked puppy. Jenna was already in her waitress outfit, script in one hand. 

She was so sure she was going to be a wreck today. 

Filming was going smoothly until the final scene. 

As Peter was playing the guitar, his back facing her, Jenna approached the TARDIS console. She placed one hand on the door and looked at him. Tears were threatening to come out.  
There was just something about the atmosphere that made it even difficult for her to control her feelings. Rachel eventually yelled cut when she noticed that Jenna was crying. 

They shot the scene again and Jenna broke down once more, unable to do hold back her tears. 

The fourth take took a different turn. 

Peter strummed his fingers on the guitar, focusing. He didn’t have the heart to look at her but something must have possessed him as he took a quick glance at Jenna. The look she had in her eyes caught him off guard. Her eyes were watery but if there was one thing he could tell, it was that her eyes were screaming nothing but love. He stopped playing the guitar, mouth slightly agape. 

That was when Jenna turned around and entered the TARDIS. 

“And that’s a wrap,” Rachel sighed. She made a mental note to have a word with the audio technician to add in the guitar audio since Peter had stopped playing midway. She couldn't help but notice that the pair were acting strangely.

After most of the crew members had said their goodbyes to Jenna, Peter hugged her.  
“You’re still coming tonight, right?” Jenna asked.

“Yes, of course,” he said, before letting her go. “I’ll drop by at eight.”

While the Doctor may not always be known for his punctuality, Peter was. So by 8 PM, he was standing right in front of Jenna’s apartment. Chinese takeout in one hand. He knocked twice and waited. A moment later, he could hear footsteps and the door swung open. 

“Hi.”

“Hi.”

They stared at each other for a moment before Jenna invited him in. 

“Come in! Sorry about the mess but I’ve already started packing,” she explained as he saw that the living room was full of boxes. Peter chuckled. She was always one who didn’t like procrastinating. 

Both had decided to watch a drama on BBC as they sit on the sofa, eating their food. It was a fairly relaxed affair but the uneasiness of recent events still hung in the air. 

“Jenna,” Peter began, placing his food on the coffee table. 

She copied his move. “Yes?”

“What happened between us – the kiss…,” he was testing the water. “Do you regret it?”

She looked away from him, trying to choose the right words. “I know I should but I don’t. I don’t regret it, Peter.”

He stared at her in slight confusion. “I don’t understand. I’m… I’m thirty years older than you and let’s face it. I’m ancient. There’s nothing really appealing about me.”

Jenna’s eyes widened in surprise. “Hang on! First, you’re ancient. Second, I don’t care if you’re older than me and third, you must be daft if you think there’s nothing appealing about you!”

Peter snorted, “I’m 57, Jenna! An ‘old man’ is what best describes me.”

“If only you knew what the fan-girls on the internet say otherwise about you,” she retorted. “Peter, you’re kind, always a gentleman and if you ask me,” she leaned closer to him. “… very good looking.”

There was no doubt that he could see the same adoration in her eyes that he had seen when filming. Their faces were inches apart now. He cupped her face with his hands and she nodded before closing her eyes. 

The kiss they shared this time was different. It wasn’t foreign like the first time. No, it was full of need and love. Jenna wrapped her arms around his neck as he pinned her down on the sofa. Their kisses becoming hungrier by the second. 

As Jenna unbuttoned his shirt, Peter broke the kiss and a look of uncertainty washed over his face. 

“Is this really what you want?” he asked huskily.

“You. I want you.”

To damn with conscience. 

He didn’t any further confirmation after that as he cracked a smile. A genuine smile before capturing her lips again. 

They spent the rest of the night in each other’s arms. First on the sofa, before moving into the bedroom and made love for the second time.


	5. Chapter 5

It was around sunrise when Jenna woke up in Peter’s arms. He was in deep thought as he caressed her hair, unaware she was awake until she kissed his bare chest. 

“Oh, good morning,” he greeted with a smile and kissed her. 

Jenna nuzzled into his neck and closed her eyes, enjoying every single moment of it. She was in total bliss. 

“Are you going back to sleep?” Peter asked, as he shifted a bit to get into a more  
comfortable position. 

She smiled. “Can I be blamed? Someone kept me up all night.”

He let out a laugh. “Hey, it takes two to tango.”

“Hmm,” she moaned and poked his tummy, causing to wriggle before her hand got under the sheets.

He tried to suppress a moan but didn’t stop her from pleasuring him. “Jenna, love, have you forgotten that I’m not exactly a young man anymore?”

She grinned at him. “Who said anything about you doing all the hard work?”

They had spent the remainder of the week in each other’s company, at Jenna’s apartment as she still had to pack all her belongings before moving back London. Peter hadn’t so much happiness in a while and that was what the last three days had been. 

They were however, cautious when in public, making sure to act casual. 

“So is thing everything for the move?” asked Peter as he stacked a couple of boxes together by the door. 

“Yes, I think that’s everything!” Jenna replied from the kitchen while she was washing the dishes. 

Just as she was done washing the last dish, Peter came up from behind and wrapped his arms around her. Jenna giggled and set the dish aside. 

“Hello,” Peter greeted and kissed her shoulder.

“Hello, silly man.”

They stood in the kitchen in silence before he spoke, “I’m going to miss poking your leg while going through the scripts with you.”

“It’s going to be fine, Peter. It’s not like we’re not going to see each other again,” she assured him and rubbed his arm. “Thank you for your help with the packing, by the way.”

“Do I get some sort of reward?”

Jenna rolled her eyes but she was unable to prevent herself from smiling. “A reward? This is coming from the man who said he’s ‘not exactly a young man anymore’.”

She twisted in his arms so she could face him properly. “Maybe you will,” she whispered and bit his ear. “But I still have to pack my clothes, down boy.”

Jenna left Peter in the kitchen, who was flabbergasted and slightly turned on. 

His phone suddenly rang. 

Peter took the device out of his pocket and paled at the name he saw on screen. Reality had just dawned to him like an on coming train. He blinked a couple of times just to be sure it was indeed Elaine. He cleared his throat and answered the call.

_“Peter, are you ok? You haven’t called in days!”_

“I’ve been… um…,” he cleared his throat so he could speak clearly. “… busy.”

_“Peter, are you sure you’re alright?”_

He turned around and saw Jenna standing by the kitchen entrance. She looked horrified and guilty. 

_“Peter?”_

“I’m so sorry, Elaine,” he apologised, “I got caught up with some things. We’ll talk tomorrow.”

_“Ok and Peter, I love you.”_

He locked eyes with Jenna. “You too.”

Peter hung up instantaneously and ran a hand over his hair. Everything he had done for the past few days were slowly dawning at him. It was all about to come crashing down on him. 

“Peter…,” Jenna called him as began pacing back and forth. 

“Oh God… I… what…”

She tried getting his attention by calling his name several times but he didn’t listen.

“Peter!” she snapped and he stopped pacing. “You need to calm down.”

He sighed and took a seat on the sofa. “I’m sorry, Jenna. It’s just that…,” he covered his face with both hands.

“I know,” she said soothingly. She rubbed his back gently but couldn’t hold back as silent tears streamed down her cheeks. 

She was naïve and a fool to think there was ever a chance between her and Peter. She closed her eyes and looked away, unable to face him. How will he ever explain this to poor Elaine? What surprised her however, was the feel of his hands as his fingers wiped away the tears before he embraced her.

“Jenna…”

“I’m sorry, Peter. This is all my fault.”

Peter shook his head. “No, it’s not. If anybody is to be, it’s me. I can’t help but love you, Jenna.”

Jenna felt her heart breaking. He loved her but she knew what he had to do. He needed to do the right thing and go back to his wife. She looked up at him. “If truly you love me, Peter,” she said and caressed his hair. “You’ll do the right thing.”

He knew she had a point. He knew he shouldn’t have done any of this in the first place but his heart was screaming at him to say something otherwise. Instead, he merely nodded. 

The journey to London was a silent one. The driver was focusing on the road while Peter and Jenna were seated in the back, both looking out the window. Peter would occasionally glance at her and see tears streaming down. He wanted to do nothing more than to gather her in his arms and comfort her but due to the fear of being seen by the driver, he pretended that he saw nothing. 

The car eventually stopped in front of Jenna’s house. The driver got out and opened the door for her. Peter stepped out as well. 

“Jenna, this isn’t the end, is it? I mean we… we could still see each other right? As friends?”

There was no doubt that her eyes were full of sorrow. Jenna forced a smile. “Yes, friends… Goodbye, Peter,” she whispered, got on her toes and kissed his cheek. Without another word, she grabbed her suitcase and turned around, walking towards her house. 

Peter waited until she was inside before he got into the car. 

Half an hour later, he was dropped off at his home. He grabbed the suitcase on the pavement before entering his home where he was immediately greeted by Elaine in the hallway.

“Oh, Peter. There you are. Please tell me what happened. I was on the phone with Jenna and she kept saying she was sorry. What happened?” she was frantically asking him questions and he was speechless.

“…It’s best if we sit down and talk.”

All hell was about to break loose that evening.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All hell breaks loose

Peter guided Elaine into the living room. She was still wary of the fact that her husband was acting strangely. There was a voice at the back of her mind that told her he had been sleeping with his co-star but she brushed it off, believing it to be nonsense and that it was just her being paranoid. 

She wasn’t stupid. She knew Peter and Jenna shared a chemistry that was unique and very rare. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to see the connection but she trusted him.

He placed his suitcase next to the sofa and glanced at his wife, racking his brain to figure out what to say to her. He had been so caught up in his little paradise with Jenna in it that he had shunned reality, tossing it away some place else before it came back, hitting him like a brick.

“Peter, you’re scaring me.”

“Something happened between us – Jenna and I,” he began explaining. 

Elaine licked her lips, she still had a calm expression on. A part of her was still denying the voice that was screaming at the back of her head. “Yes, you’ve told me that.”

Peter began biting his thumb. He could feel the calm before the oncoming storm. “Yes and I told myself that I wouldn’t let my feelings get the best of me…”

“But?”

At this point, Elaine was gripping the hand rest of the sofa, waiting for the inevitable. Paranoia was slowly creeping back into her mind, convincing her that her husband had betrayed her. 

He avoided her gaze, let out a breath and said, “I slept with Jenna.”

She felt as if the wind had been knocked out of her as soon as she heard those hurtful words. She knew her husband was always fond of his co-star and was fine with it, thinking he wouldn’t do anything irrational but she was surprised over how much of a fool she hand been. She was speechless and horrified. 

“Elaine…” Peter called out and tried to grab her hand but she wretched her hand away from him.

“Don’t touch me!” she hissed.

“Elaine, please. Just let me explain.”

“How long have you been cheating behind my back?!” she demanded, no longer able to hold back tears. 

Peter flinched at the sharp tone of her voice. “I’ve never cheated on you before, I swear... but it happened recently. I’m so sorry, Elaine. I-”

“What makes you think I’m going to blindly believe every single word you say now! Peter, why… Oh God!” Elaine sobbed before she ran up the stairs. Her husband followed her but she slammed the bedroom door in his face before he even had the chance to say a word. 

He knew she had every right to be angry and upset with him but he decided to let her be. There was no point talking sense into a woman who had just found out her husband had been sleeping with his co-star behind her back. 

He gritted his teeth in frustration before sinking to the floor, his legs finally giving in. His back leaned against the door, hoping that his wife will unlock it at some point. “Elaine,” he said and gently knocked on the door. “Please talk to me.”

Jenna was right. He had to do the right thing and save his marriage. Not to mention the fact that he had a daughter to think about too. Everything around him was slowly crumbling away just because he acted selfishly. He knew things were never going to be the same again but he had to try.

Eventually, her sobs died down but Peter grew worried as she had been silent for half an hour. “Elaine,” he murmured and nearly fell down as the door swung open. Throughout their marriage, he had never seen his wife so broken and upset. 

She then sat on the edge of the bed, facing away from him. He could see crumpled tissues scattered all over the bed. Slowly, he closed the door and kept a distance between them, fearing she might lash out again if he tried to console her.

“Tell me something truthfully, Peter and I will pretend nothing ever happened,” Elaine finally spoke, her voice hoarse from all the crying. She had foolishly assumed that a simple kiss wouldn’t cause such a disaster but the damage has been done and there was nothing she could do to fix it unless of course, her husband had only committed infidelity out of lust and nothing more.

“Yes, of course. Just tell me what you want to know. I’ll do anything for you, Elaine.”

“Do you love her?”

If Peter was given the chance to prevent the kiss from ever happening, he knew he wouldn’t think twice over what he’ll do. He didn’t regret the kiss. Not one bit. And shamelessly, he did not regret making love with Jenna. Did he feel guilty for cheating on his wife? Yes, and he would suffer the consequences.

Peter licked his lips as he suddenly felt dry. “It doesn’t matter, Elaine. I love you. You’re my wife. That’s what matters right now.”

“Do you love her?” she repeated, her voice cracking. “Just tell me the truth, Peter.”

He looked at her straight in the eyes. Both knew the answer. “Like I said, it doesn’t matter-”

“Do you love her, Peter? It’s a simple question – yes or no?!”

“Yes!” he snapped, “I love her!”

Elaine shook her head as more tears began pouring out of her eyes. He instantly regretted telling her the truth so harshly. 

“Elaine,” he said gently, his features softening. 

“Get out,” she whispered, shutting her eyes. “Get out.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for the short chapter - I had planned this to happen in the previous one but decided to separate it completely and merge it with the next chapter but I don't think it will work out now. I think that the next one will be slightly longer than usual where it will deal with where Peter will go and how Jenna will take the news.


	7. Chapter 7

“Get out,” Elaine whispered to her husband. “I don’t want to see you. At least for the time being.”

Peter could have tried to persuade his wife otherwise but he didn’t. He knew she was an emotional wreck right now and so he left the bedroom without a word. 

He grabbed his suitcase next to the sofa and the car keys before leaving the house, never looking back as he got into the car. 

Starting the engine, he took one last look at his home, glancing at the master bedroom window, before accepting his fate and driving away. He didn’t know where to go now that he had been kicked out of his home. There’s the option of staying at a hotel but that seemed like a bad idea considering people will start asking questions. He could drive back to his Cardiff apartment or he could phone Jenna and stay at her place for the time being since it will only take him half an hour to get there.

At the traffic stop, he made the decision to drive to Cardiff. The last thing he wanted to do was trouble Jenna. He had done enough damage for one day and fought off the exhaustion. He could sleep and cry and get angry or whatever once he was alone. 

A week had passed by quickly since Jenna and Peter had returned to London. 

She had spent most of her time inside her house due to heartbreak and guilt consuming her. 

She had hoped that Peter was able to patch things up with his wife – probably did. They were married for thirty years. Surely he was able to save his marriage. 

They hadn’t contacted each other since she phoned Elaine, profusely apologising to her. She had been confused over why Jenna did such a thing but before she even had the chance to ask, she hung up. 

Now, Jenna sat in the kitchen, a cup of tea in one hand while her phone in the other. She wanted to call to ask him if everything was fine – that he was fine. She needed to know but she was afraid. Afraid he would reject their friendship, afraid that he might not have been able to save his marriage and terrified over his state if he didn’t. 

She stared at his name in her contacts list, her thumb hovering above his name. 

Screw it. She was going to call him. 

A few moments later, a hoarse voice answered. 

_“Hello?”_

Jenna’s heart skipped a beat hearing his voice but he sounded as if he had just woken up. 

“Peter…”

_“Jenna? What…,” he sounded confused and disoriented._

“Peter, are you alright?”

_“Could have been better,” his speech sounded slurred and Jenna was immediately on her feet._

“Oh God, Peter, where are you? Have you been drinking?”

_“Cardiff.”_

Jenna hung up and made an impulse decision to drive to Wales. She couldn’t believe what was happening. Her worst nightmare came true – he was no longer with his wife. “Peter, you idiot,” she uttered as she got into the car. He should have called her. He could have stayed over at hers instead of going back to Cardiff. 

Two and a half hours later, Peter was still lounging on the sofa with an opened bottle of Scotch on the coffee table. He was about to take another swig of the drink when he heard a knock. He sighed and got off the couch. 

When he answered the door, he saw an out-of-breath Jenna. It was clear she had been running. 

“Oh my God,” she whispered as she saw the state he was in. 

Peter looked terrible. He hadn’t shaved, the apartment was a mess as clothes were scattered all across the living room and there was a strong stench of alcohol.   
He avoided her gaze and stepped aside to let her in. “Sorry about the mess.”

“Peter, how long have you been staying here?”

He didn’t answer until he sat back down on the sofa. “A week. I’ve been here since I told Elaine… well… you know,” he sounded exhausted as if all his energy had been drained from him.

Jenna took a seat next to him. “I’m sorry, Peter. I wish there was a way I could have fixed this.”

“Like I said, it’s not your fault. I had it coming,” he said. 

“Elaine wants a divorce.”

Her eyes widened in shock and she finally noticed that he was no longer wearing his wedding ring. She was speechless and tried her best not to cry. 

“I told her I love you,” he explained. “She asked me if I love you and I said yes. I suppose that was the final straw for her.”

Jenna couldn’t hold back her tears any longer and wiped her eyes. She felt Peter’s thumb wiping a tear away. “Why, Peter? You should have said no – this wouldn’t have happened. Elaine wouldn’t be asking for a divorce if you had said no…”

“She told me to answer truthfully. We both know the truth. She would have known I was lying if I had told her the opposite.”

Peter grabbed her hand, clasping it. “Jenna, I need to know if you regret this… us. I should but I don’t. It’s driving me mad. I know you can do so much better than a pathetic old man like me.”

She looked down at her feet. “I’ve told you before – I don’t care if you are older than me,” she then caressed his cheek. “Peter, I love you for who you are. I’ve never felt so complete and happy in my life since that night.”

For the first time since he had been kicked out of his home, his heart soared. 

“Jenna…”

“We can pull through this but first, I think you need to take a shower and we need to tidy up the place a bit,” Jenna said, earning a smile from him. 

Peter kissed her forehead. “Again, sorry about the mess,” he then disappeared into the bedroom. 

A month passed by and Peter was still living in his Cardiff apartment. Jenna was always by his side, making sure he wasn’t in a terrible state. Eventually, she had to return back to London when she had to film Victoria and news of his divorce were circulating around the internet. 

Peter had advised her that it was best they didn’t see each other for a while, fearing it will ruin her career but that didn’t stop them from calling and texting each other every single day. 

The media was throwing a bunch of speculation over his divorce but so far, no names were mentioned. He was grateful for that but he missed Jenna dearly. 

Eventually, he decided to rent an apartment just 20 minutes away from where she lived. It was easier for him to attend all the charity and dinner events anyway. 

Another month passed and he was still under spotlight. The media never knew the real reason why his wife was divorcing him. Peter was sure to be extra careful whenever he wanted to see Jenna. 

They could only meet one another at public events as it would raise less suspicion. 

They took whatever they could. Beggars can’t be choosers. Holding hands under the table, giving quick suggestive glances at one another and a quick kiss as they were passing one another in the hallway of a hotel when no one was around. In a way, their stolen moments made Peter feel younger and it was small things like that that made it bearable with whatever he was going through. 

The great thing about the press however, is that when they find out something even more scandalous and full of drama, they’d forget about the previous one. That was exactly what happened. Peter and Jenna were still cautious, regardless, as he was still finalising his divorce. 

The day his divorce was finalised finally came and he was glad the whole hellish process was finally over. Between filming the latest season of Doctor Who, the divorce and rumours of him and Jenna being together, it was tiring and stressful. 

What surprised him however, when he returned to his apartment one evening, was seeing Jenna waiting for him in the living room. He had thought she was still in the US, promoting her new drama. 

“Jen, I thought you’re still in America?” he said, baffled but elated by her presence. 

Jenna smiled at him and closed the book she was reading. “I was but I took an early flight. Couldn’t stay away from you for too long.”

“You must be exhausted,” he murmured as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

Peter dipped his head and kissed her. 

“It would be nice if my Doctor could carry me to bed,” she suggested once they parted and let out a giggle when he lifted her from the floor, kissing her halfway through the hallway. “Is that your way of showing off that you’ve been working out?”

“Maybe.”

Jenna grinned at him and pulled him down on her as Peter unzipped her dress. “I can’t wait to find out.”

Later that night, as she snuggled into his embrace, she thought that despite of everything they have been through, it would seem that there was indeed a light at the end of the tunnel.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Epilogue

**Three years later…**

It was close to midnight when Peter returned home from Wales. He was more than excited to go back to London, eager to see Jenna. Not that he didn’t return home whenever he could but he felt as if he was finally at home whenever he saw her. Tonight was no exception as he slowly opened the bedroom door, careful not to wake her up.

The room was dimly lit by the street lights outside and he moved quietly to the bathroom, stripping his jacket off along the way and hanging it by the chair. 

After a warm shower and changing into a pair of pyjamas, Peter slipped under the covers, careful not to wake up the woman sleeping on the other side of the bed. His body had been stiff from sitting in the car for more than two hours and he was glad to be lying in a comfortable bed.

He could feel the mattress shift as Jenna rolled over to face him. Her eyes were still closed but she snuggled into his arms with a content sigh. 

“When did you get back?” she murmured sleepily, draping an arm over his chest. 

He kissed her forehead. “Not too long ago.”

“I’ve missed you,” she said, rubbing his back.

Peter chuckled. “I’ve only been away for what, less than a week.”

It was difficult to leave her side these days. 

“Still missed you and someone has been kicking non-stop – or at least that was the case yesterday,” Jenna replied, grabbing his hand and placing it on her swollen belly.  
When Jenna had told him she was pregnant, he had been taken back a bit. It wasn’t that the baby wasn’t planned – it was that he was a bit anxious over being a father again but his worries disappeared as the months passed by and Jenna’s belly grew larger.

“Oh, is that so?” he gently caressed the bump, waiting for a kick. After a few moments, he felt one and grinned from ear to ear. “Hello there, little one,” he greeted and felt another kick.

“Someone’s happy to hear your voice.”

“The baby’s very active, isn’t she?”

“He,” she corrected, smiling once more when he bent down to kiss her belly.

He gave him a skeptical look. “What makes you think the baby’s a he?”

“Mother’s instinct,” she said smugly.

Peter rolled his eyes jokingly. “Fine then, the baby’s very active isn’t he?”

“Yes he is.” 

She placed her hand over his. “I wonder where he gets that from,” he asked, raising his eyebrows suggestively. 

“Peter!”

He giggled and laid his head back on the pillow, the journey from Cardiff finally taking a toll on him.

“Good night, Jenna,” he murmured as she laid back into his arms and then glanced at her belly. “Good night, future Doctor Who fan.”

His little joke earned him a laugh. “Future Doctor Who fan?”

“Yes, of course the baby is going to be a fan of Doctor Who! His own father is Doctor Who! He will be the coolest kid in school.”

“Oh dear, I can’t imagine what it’ll be like to have two geeks running around the house.” 

The truth was, Jenna could definitely imagine their child in a Dalek or Zygon costume while his father chased him around the house with a Sonic Screwdriver in one hand. It was an image that made her beam. 

“Oh, I know that look – that’s your ‘I’m picturing what it’ll be like in the future’ look, yeah?”

She playfully punched his arm. “Oi, shut it, you silly man. I thought you were about to go to sleep.”

“I was up until we had this banter,” Peter replied and gave her a peck on the lips.

“Alright, am I supposed to apologise for keeping you up?” she asked jokingly before she felt him grasp her hand. “Besides, when the baby comes, we’ll have to get used to waking up in the middle of the night.”

Peter groaned at the thought of waking up at night to either feed his wailing son or change his diaper. “Wonderful,” he said sarcastically before placing his free hand on Jenna’s baby bump once more. “Please be nice to me and your mother when you arrive.”

“Do you know how crazy you sound right now?”

“I’ve done crazier things.” 

For the second time that night, he gave Jenna a suggestive look, causing her to have her mouth agape. “Like that one time we shagged in the-”

“Peter!”

“Jenna!”

At this point, both were grinning at each other at the memory of them shagging in the TARDIS after everyone had left. It was definitely more than a “Snog box” now – at least to the both of them.

“That’s it, that’s the last straw, you have won this round,” Jenna declared and closed her eyes. 

“Sweet dreams, Jen.”

“You too, Peter.” 

As slumber took over, Peter couldn’t have been happier with what he had now. Jenna by his side and a baby on the way. His Doctor Who career was still going strong and the filming of the latest season is almost done so that means he will be present when his child is born. 

It looks like they managed to get their happy ending after all.

**The End**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do hope you had a pleasant time reading Power Outage. 
> 
> If you enjoyed the story, feel free to check out Late Night Musing. It's the prequel :)
> 
> Thank you so much for sticking with this story till the very end. I've definitely had fun writing this story since it took me out of my comfort zone of writing silly, humourous fanfics.  
> Thank you to those who left comments and Kudos as well. They mean a lot to me.  
> Your support is greatly appreciated :)


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